Clemson is on a roll right now winning four straight and starting 3-0 in the ACC. Following the week one loss to Georgia, the Tigers are playing some of their best football in the last few years. Each of their four wins has been by at least two scores. Clemson pitched a shutout in the first quarter of all four games. Now the Tigers go on their second straight road trip, this week to Winston-Salem. They will look to keep the momentum going when they face Wake Forest.
The Rise of Cade Klubnik
One of the biggest reasons for this Clemson team’s resurgence is the improved play of quarterback Cade Klubnik. The junior has been lighting it up this season. On Wednesday, Dabo Swinney was asked about Klubnik’s improvement and consistency in his post-practice press conference. He responded saying “Those things he’s got to improve, it’s a smaller list each week. He’s doing way more good, he’s more consistent…” He then lists all the areas in which he’s seen Klubnik improve, including using his legs more, taking care of the football, and better understanding what to do situationally.
When watching the games, it is easy to see the improvements Klubnik has made even since the Georgia game. He looks much more poised and in control of the offense. He is making decisions quickly which helps him not hold onto the ball as long. The growth is showing in his numbers as well. In the last four games, Klubnik is completing 65% of his passes for 1,077 yards 14 touchdowns, and just one interception. He has accounted for 18 touchdowns overall in the four-game winning streak as he also has four rushing touchdowns.
These numbers and his performances have started to get Klubnik’s name in Heisman conversations. He still has much more to do to be considered a true favorite for the award. He is doing more than enough to have the Tigers winning though. Klubnik must continue to play great if Clemson wants to keep its momentum going.
The Matchup
To keep the momentum rolling, Klubnik and the Tigers must get a win on the road at Wake Forest. This will be the 90th meeting between these two programs. Clemson holds the lead in the series 71-17-1 and currently holds a 15-game winning streak against the Demon Deacons. The last two matchups have been decided by just one score. In 2022 it was a high-scoring game with Clemson winning 51-45. The next season in 2023 it was a low-scoring affair with the Tigers coming out with the 17-12 victory.
Running back Demond Claiborne could make a difference in this game and make it another close one for the Demon Deacons. The Junior running back is averaging 94.2 rush yards per game, which is among the top 30 in the FBS. If he can get rolling, Claiborne can give the Tigers defense problems. He scored the Deacons’ only touchdown in the matchup last season.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bauchmier also works his best when the run game is working. Bauchmier has some good arm talent but does not have great control of the offense. The “slow-mesh” run-pass option Wake Forest likes to run works best when the quarterback knows what he’s reading and is on the same page with the rest of the offense. It seems this Wake Forest team is struggling to get both of these things to happen consistently. It gets even tougher when Claiborne can’t help open things up by getting defenses to focus on him in the run game.
Keys for the Game
The biggest key for Clemson in this game is stopping the run. There have been moments in games when the Tiger defense has not played well against the run. One such time was in the first half of the Stanford game when they let Micah Ford rush for over 100 yards. Last week Clemson played very well against the run only giving up 22 yards on the ground. But, that was against a Florida State team with the worst rushing attack in the ACC, second worst in the FBS.
Claiborne has rushed for over 100 yards in two games. They are the two games Wake Forest has won this season. Keeping him contained will be important. On the Tigers’ offensive side, Klubnik has to keep shining. The passing game will be important in keeping Wake Forest linebacker Nick Andersen from being a game-wrecker. Andersen has 60 total tackles, the most in the ACC and third most in the FBS. He is a problem in the run game with his relentless effort getting to the football and finishing plays. He is not great in coverage though, nor is the rest of the Deacon defense.
The Wake Forest defense is bottom 10 in the FBS in yards allowed. It is giving up an average of 460 total yards per game. Some of this is a result of the way the Demon Deacons play their coverage to not give up big plays deep and rally to the short pass. The Deacon defense can be lit up though, as they haven’t kept a quarterback under 250 yards passing all season. Klubnik should have another great game against this defense. If he does the Tigers should get another win before heading back to Death Valley.
